The present invention is directed to preparing carbon chalcogenide macromolecular composition from carbon dichalcogenide and to the macromolecular composition produced thereby.
Bridgman [Proc. Am. Acad. Art. Sci., 74,399 (1941)] reported polymerization of carbon disulfide into a black solid powder. According to Bridgman, carbon disulfide polymerizes into a black solid powder at a pressure of about 55 kilobars and at temperatures above 175.degree. C. The polymerization requires about 7 hours of exposure to the aforementioned conditions. The black powder made by Bridgman decomposes at about 200.degree. C. into carbon and sulfur.
Whalley [Can.J.Chem., 38,2105 (1960)] describes Bridgman's black powder as linear chains of alternating carbon and sulfur atoms in the following recurring moiety, ##STR1##
Since the process used to form Bridgman's black powder requires more than 5000 atmospheres of pressure, the process is extremely cumbersome and difficult to implement in practice.
Tsukamoto et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,547, describe the preparation of carbon dichalcogenide polymers by subjecting carbon dichalcogenide dissolved in an inert solvent and in the presence of anionic polymerization catalyst to temperatures of about -100.degree. C. to 50.degree. C. for several hours. The polymerization process requires violent stirring of the mixture to achieve homogeneous dispersion of the catalyst and is performed at about one atmosphere of pressure. Tsukamoto et al also disclose steps to achieve polymerization of carbon dichalcogenides at temperatures above the boiling point of carbon disulfide (46.degree. C.) and carbon diselenide (126.degree. C.) by carrying out the polymerization at elevated pressures of up to ten atmospheres. Tsukamoto et al further disclose the carbon dichalcogenide polymers structure having C.dbd.S, or C.dbd.Se or C.dbd.Te bonding and a carbon to chalcogen ratio of 1:2.
The foregoing prior art processes either require high pressures or complex catalysis to complete the polymerization of carbon dichalcogenide. Furthermore, the prior art processes disclose polymers having very high carbon: chalcogen ratios.